Archaeometric analysis of textile fiber dyes from the Topater-1 Site, Calama, northern Chile, Middle Formative Period (ca. 400–200 BCE)

We present an archaeometric study of four textile headdress fibers taken from the Topater-1 Cemetery of Calama, northern Chile, dated to the Middle Formative Period (ca. 400–200 BCE). The colored fiber samples (three blue and one red) were investigated by micro-Raman spectroscopy. Results indicate the presence of indigo in the blue fibers and anthraquinone-type dyestuff in the red fibers. Based on geographical and botanic considerations we suggest that the sources of the raw dye materials were most likely non-local, suggesting a wide range of interaction during the Formative Period.